Seal-lock



(ModeL) I RFTREW.

} SEAL LOOK.

- Patented Jan. 22

Pansy m mhognphcr, Washing'm n, c.

- U ITED STATES PATENT- Drums- BOBEBT. FREW, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

EFEOIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,296, dated January 22,1884.

Application filed August 11, 1833. (Model) To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT Fnnw, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description thereof.

My invention relates to that class of looks or fastening devices in which a frangible seal is employed to indicate the condition of the lock, these seal-locks being generally employedfor securing the doors of freight-cars, and for kindred uses. Its object is to simplify and otherwise improve that class of seal-looks which do not require a key to open them. The usual form of seal-lock employed for this purpose has been formed of a perforated seal which fitted over arotating T-head and was held to place' by the movement of said head, or of a strip-seal which passed through perforations in the T-head and hasp and was secured by sealing the ends thereof together. Seal-locks have also been formed where the seal was provided on the back with a headed key which passed through a slot in the hasp and was held by locking devices within the lock. These= seal-locks were, however, complicated in construction, and for this reason costly, andthey' required changes in the construction of the hasp or expensive forms of seals. The object of my invention is to overcome these objections by forming a seal-lock in which the ordinary hasp may be employed. The seal is simply a flat plate, and the parts of the'lock are simple and inexpensive.

It consists, essentially, in combining withthe h asp and a lock or latch having suitable guides thereon a seal adapted to fit over the hasp within said guides when secured in-place, and

be caught and held by a concealed catch, so that it is necessary to break the seal before the hasp can be removed from the lock, and the injury or loss of the seal will at once indicate that the lock has been tampered with.

It also consists in providing the staple of the lock with a rotating T-head or equivalent device, and the seal with suitable stop" or stops, to fit against the T-head and prevent the turning of the head after it has locked the hasp on the staple.

It also consists in certain other details of construction hereinafter set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe, it more fully, referringto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aperspective view, partly broken away, illustrating myinvention. Fig. 2 is a face view, showing the hasp placed over the staple and the seal ready to be inserted. Fig. 3 is a like view, showing the lock made; Fig. 4 is a like view where the seal is inserted at the opposite end of the staple. View of the front plate, illustratinga different form of stop. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the seal. l 4

The lock is adapted to be secured to any post or jamb, A, that shown being a portion of the side post of a freight-car door. The front plate, B, is secured to the post by means of screws 1), the screws passing through the part of the plate covered by the hasp O, and being thus covered by the hasp, so that they cannot be removed when the door is locked... The plate has the staple or boss d cast thereon, this staple corresponding to the elongated slots 0 in the hasp, and when the hasp is secured Fig. 5 is a back over the staple it is held from side motion, bep cause the staple fills the slot.

Mounted above the staple dis the T.-head e, whichhas a shaft or stem, 6, and is secured either at the back of the plate B, or, as preferred by me, extends through the door-post A and is secured within the, car. Under. the term T-head is included an L-shaped arm or other mechanical equivalent adapted to perform the same functions. The. T-head 0 may be moved axially over the staple, and

when the hasp isto be placed over the staple it is turned so as to coincide with the staple, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It may either be free to turn over the staple and be held across the hasp by forming one side of the head heav ier than the other, or its motion may be limited by stops on the front plate, B, or on the seal, as hereinafter referred to. Where its motion is limited by a suitable stop or stops on the plate, it may be either capable of a three-quarters turn or a quarterturn, as de-.

sired. The stop f may be placed on the outer surface of the front ,plate, the stop being on the top of the staple, and the T-head e being recessed on one side, so that it fits over the lug'or stop f when coincident with the staple;

ICO

but when turned at right angles therewith it is caught by the lug and held in that position. The stop may, however, be placed on the under face of the plate B, as shown at f in Fig. 5, and the shaft 0 is in that case provided with the arm g, which catches against the stop, and thus limits the motion of the head, the advantage of this construction being that the stop is concealed, though by forming the stop on top of the boss or staple it can be cast with the top plate, and does away with the arm thus cheapening the construction. The plate B is provided at the top and bottom with the guides h h, under which the edges of the frangible seal it pass, the seal being placed over the hasp and slipped into the guides, and being held thereby above the hasp. The seal is a plate of any frangible material, either metal or glass, and is preferably of a different color from the lock, so that it can be easily distinguished. It engages with a suitable catch, 7, concealed within one of the guides, this catch fitting within a seat or shoulder, m, on the Seal, and so holding it within the lock and above the hasp. The catch Z is preferably a pivoted tooth in the upper guide, 71, which falls into a seat, in, on the upper part of the seal, the seal having a ridge, 11, along its upper end, and the shoulder or seat at being formed in this ridge to give a strong hold for thetooth. Thetooth may, however, beprcsscd outby a spring and engage in any desired manner with the seal, the only requisite being that it is concealed when the seal is held in place.

\Vhen the T-head e is held from turning by the seal, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the seal is provided along one edge with the stop 1), which fits against the T-hcad after it is turned across the hasp. This stop may be the edge of the stal, or a rib formed along this edge and extending above it.

In locking the parts the T-head c is turned so as to be coincident with the staple d, the hasp O is placed over the staple, and the T- head given a quarter-turn, so as to extend across the hasp andlock it to the plate. \Vhen the hasp is so secured, it covers the securingscrews 1) of the front plate, preventing the removal of the plate from the post. The seal L is then slipped within the guides hit over the hasp until the catch Z engages with the shoulder or seat at thereof, and the loci; is

sealed. Though the T-head may be turned coincident with the staple, the hasp is pre vented from coming off by the seal extending over it. As, however, when the hasp is not held by the T-head, too great strain might be brought against the seal and fracture it, the stops before referred to are employed. \Vhere the stop is formed only on the seal, as at 2, the T-head is turned across the hasp, and the stop 1) on the seal is held against the side of the T-head, thus preventing it from turning in any direction. lVhere the stops are formed on the front plate, 13, after the hasp is placed over the staple, the head is turned until it comes against the stop f 011 the staple, or the arm 5 comes against the stop 1" on the inner side of the plate, and the seal is then placed in position. so that the motion of the head in one direction is limited by the stopf, and its motion in the other direction is limited by the stop 1) on the seal. To open the lock it is necessary to break the seal it and turn the T- head coincident with the staple; and if the seal is broken or removed duringtransit, it will indicate that the lock has been tampered with, thus leading to an investigation of the contents of the car or other receptacle.

If it is desired to employ a key with a look, a spring-bolt may be arranged to hold the arm I against the stop f on the inner face of the plate B, and the key-hole be covered by the seal, or by a flap-plate held in place by the sea]. This will, however, be made the subjcet of another application.

The seal-lock thus formed is simple in construction, and consequently costs little to manufacture, and forms an efficient protection to the contents of the car.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a hasp and front plate, the latter having a T-head or equivalent device engaging with the hasp and guides for holding the seal, a concealed catch in said plate, and a frangible seal fittingin said guides and held by said concealed catch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In seal-locks, the combination, with the hasp, of the lock-plate having the rotating T-head c, engaging with thehasp, guides h h, extending'from the edge of the plate to the T-head, and suitable catch, 1, and the frangible seal 7;, sliding within said guides, fitting against said T-hcad and held by said catch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In seal-locks, the combination, with the hasp, of the lock-plate having the rotating T-head e, engaging with the hasp, and provided with the guides hh, extending from the edge of the plate to the T-head, stop f, and suitable catch, 7, and the frangible seal k, slid ing within said guides, fitting against said T- head, and held by said catch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the hasp having the elongated slot 0, the lock-plate provided with a suitable catch and having the boss or staple (1 corresponding thereto, and provided with the stopf on the face thereof, the rotating T- head 0, working through said plate, and the frangible seal It, adapted to engage with said catch and fit against said T-head, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ROBERT FREW, have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT FRE\V.

\Vitncsses:

H. T. Monnis, J. N. COOKL. 

